Flush tank bulb linkage



Sept. 5, 1967 c. J. w|| s 3,339,211 FLUSH TANK BULB LINKAGE I I Filed July 12, 1965 Fig.

Charles J. Wills INVENTOR'.

United States Patent Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,237 11 Claims. (Cl. 467) The present invention relates to improvements in water closets and more specifically a new and useful improvement in flush tank bulb linkages.

It is well known that the bulb or ball valve which is used in flush tanks to selectively open and close the discharge outlet is a troublesome portion of the water closet flush tanks in that the linkage normally used to support and guide the ball valve often becomes bent or worn and thereby causes sticking or binding and makes proper seating or closing of the ball valve diflicult. Accordingly, an important object of the present invention provides a novel linkage for the ball valve of a water closet which will virtually eliminate any problems of sticking or binding during operation of the ball valve.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a movable guide for the valve stem of a ball valve which facilitates raising of the ball valve over the seat and guiding of the valve stem during its seating operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a movable guide member for use in a flush tank ball valve linkage which is constructed to provide a minimum of frictional contact between the guide and a slidable valve stem fitting therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a linkage arrangement for a ball valve which extends between the ball valve and the flush tank lift arm and which is capable of being installed by the unskilled person with a minimum of trouble and cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a water closet flush tank having the front wall partially broken away to illustrate the flushing components contained therein;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective )view of the ball valve linkage comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral refers to the water tank which is normally used in water closets. The tank include a body 12, a top lid 14, a water inlet pipe 16 and a flushing handle 18. Referring specifically to FIGURE 1 it may be observed that the water flushing mechanism of the water closet includes a lift arm 20 attached to the handle at one end and responsive to movement thereof, the ball valve 22 which covers discharge outlet 24, the ball valve linkage generally designated at 26 which comprises the present invention and the mounting bracket 28. Also included in the tank 10 are the overflow pipe 30 on which bracket 28 is mounted, for example, at 32, the ball float 34 and supporting arm 36 and the toilet bowl filler tube 38.

The lift arm 20 is mounted for vertical movement in response to movement of the handle 18, and includes several mounting holes 40. The lift arm 20 is generally 3,3 3 9,21 1 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 centered over the ball valve 22 and the linkage 26 provides a connection therebetween.

The linkage 26 comprising the present invention includes a valve stem 42 and a guide bracket member 44. The valve stem 42 includes a lower threaded portion (not shown) in order to be threadedly received in a like threaded portion in ball valve 22. Referring now to FIG- URES 2 and 4 it may be observed that the valve stem 42 has at its upper end a pair of cross members or rods 46 and 48 which are integrally attached to the valve stem 42 and which are positioned at right angles to each other and which lie in planes perpendicular to the axis of valve stem 42. The guide member 44 includes a pair of parallel elongate U-shaped guide members 50 and 52 of identical height which are imverted, having their bight portions 54 and 56 uppermost. The lower portion of the members 50 and 52 are fixedly attached to a circular mounting ring 58 at their ends opposite the bight portions, the identical legs 60 of each of the U-shaped members 50 and 52 being attached to the mounting rings at equal points about its periphery as for example by being welded thereon. Thus, it may be observed that the valve stem 42 is positioned within the mounting ring 58 and the cross members 46 and 48 extend outwardly of the spaces 62 between adjacent legs 60. In this manner, the valve stem 42 may ride within the mounting ring 58 and in between the members 50 and 52, the cross members 46 and 48 retaining the stem 42 in between the members 50 and 52 and eliminating twist or leaning thereof and therefore permitting the valve member 42 to slide freely without any sticking or binding.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 it may be seen that the guide member 44 is mounted on the lift arm 20 by a cotter pin 64. The lift arm 20 is positioned between the members 50 and 52 so that a mounting hole 40 is in alignment with the spaces 62 between opposite legs 60,

and then the cotter pin 64 is positioned through the spaces and the mounting hole 40. The conventional washers 66 and 68 are also provided to retain cotter pin 64 in place. Thus, it may be observed that when the lift arm 20 is lifted, the cotter pin 64 will be moved up- I wardly against the bight portions 54 and 56 of the members 50 and 52 thereby causing the guide 44 to be moved upwardly. At the same time the mounting ring 58 is moved against the cross members 46 and 48 and thereby moves the valve stem 42 and the ball valve 22 upwardly. At this time the water contained within the tank is allowed to drain through discharge outlet 24.

After the lift arm 20 is raised and the water allowed to drain, the handle 18 is normally released and the lift arm 20 lowered. It will be observed, of course, that when the lift arm 20 is lowered the guide member 44 will also be lowered, however, the ball valve 22 will be supported by the water as it is draining from the tank and thus the guide member 44 will slide downwardly along the valve stem 22. This will allow the guide 44 to perform the necessary guiding function for the valve stem 42 and along with the bracket 28 will insure a straight drop for the ball valve 22.

The tvalve stem 42 and guide 44 are preferably fashioned from a generally non-corrosive material such as brass. It should be apparent from the foregoing that the construction and arrangement of the ball valve linkage is such that no binding or sticking can occur to prevent a proper closing of the ball valve 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a water closet flush tank including a handle, a lift arm mounted for [vertical movement at one end in response to movement of said handle, a discharge port and a ball valve for selectively opening and closing said port, the improvement comprising depending guide bracket mounted on said lift arm for movement therewith, said guide bracket including a mounting ring means and upstanding guide means, said guide means being attached at its lower end to said mounting ring means, a valve stem attached at its lower end to said ball valve, said valve stem extending through said mounting ring and cooperating with said guide members whereby controlled relative motion between said guide bracket and said valve stem is possible, said valve stem and guide means including coacting means for allowing relative longitudinal sliding movement between said guide bracket and said valve stem while at the same time preventing rotational mevement between said guide bracket and said valve stem.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a pair of upstanding guide members and wherein said co-acting means includes a pair of vertical elongated openings defined in said guide members and at least one cross-member fastened adjacent the upper end of said valve stem above said mounting ring means and lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to any plane including the axis of said valve stem with its opposite end portions slidably received in said openings.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cross-member extends between said pair of guide members.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cross-member extends into the openings in each of said guide members.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a pair of upstanding guide members and wherein said co-acting means includes a pair of vertical elongated openings defined in said guide members and a pair of cross-members fastened adjacent the upper end of said valve stem, each cross-member lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to any plane including the axis of said valve stem, one of said cross-members extending between said pair of guide members and the other of said cross-members extending into the openings in each of said guide members.

6. A toilet fiush valve comprising a ball valve engageable by gravity with a valve seat, a vertically movable arm having an opening at one end, a pair of generally U-shaped members, ring means having a central opening therein connected to one end of each of said U-shaped members, means for releasably fastening said U-shaped members to said arm, an upstanding stem on the ball valve slidably extending through the opening in said ring means, and means on the upper end of said stem for engaging the upper portion of said ring means and for cooperating with said U-shaped members whereby upward movement of said arm will be transmitted to said ball valve and downward movement of said arm will allow relative sliding movement between said valve stem and said U-shaped members.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said pair of U-shaped members are generally parallel.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said engaging means prevents rotational movement of said valve stem in said ring means.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said engaging means comprises at least one cross-member fastened adjacent the upper end of said stem, said cross-member extending between said pair of U-shaped members.

10. The combination of claim 7 wherein said engaging means comprises at least one cross-member fastened adjacent the upper end of said stem, said U-shaped member having elongate openings therein, and said cross-member extending into the elongate opening in each of said U- shaped members.

11. The combination of claim 8 wherein said engaging means comprises a pair of cross-members fastened adjacent the upper end of said valve stem, said U-shaped members having elongate openings therein, one of said cross-members extending between said pair of U-shaped members and the other of said cross-members extending into the elongate openings in each of said adjacent members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,508,667 5/1950 Fulton 457 2,561,337 7/1951 Buford 457 2,675,563 4/1954 Deatherage 457 2,713,687 7/1955 Bill et al. 457 2,809,378 10/ 1957 Newton 467 2,905,950 9/1959 Kenaston 457 2,909,786 10/ 1959 Hollingsworth 456 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A WATER CLOSET FLUSH TANK INCLUDING A HANDLE, A LIFT ARM MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT AT ONE END IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE, A DISCHARGE PORT AND A BALL VALVE FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING SAID PORT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING DEPENDING GUIDE BRACKET MOUNTED ON SAID LIFT ARM FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID GUIDE BRACKET INCLUDING A MOUNTING RING MEANS AND UPSTANDING GUIDE MEANS, SAID GUIDE MEANS BEING ATTACHED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID MOUNTING RING MEANS, A VALVE STEM ATTACHED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID BALL VALVE, SAID VALVE STEM EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MOUNTING RING AND COOPERATING WITH SAID GUIDE MEMBERS WHEREBY CONTROLLED RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN SAID GUIDE BRACKET AND SAID VALVE STEM IS POSSIBLE, SAID VALVE STEM AND GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING COACTING MEANS FOR ALLOWING RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID GUIDE BRACKET AND SAID VALVE STEM WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PREVENTING ROTATIONAL MEVEMENT BETWEEN SAID GUIDE BRACKET AND SAID VALVE STEM. 